Draft attachment for cars.



. PATENTED PEB. 17, 1903.

H. MARTIN. -DRAFT ATTACHMENT FOR CARS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY l. 1902.

H0 MODEL.

r UNITED STATESA PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY MARTIN, OF COLUMBUS, GEORGIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO WILY H. PEDDY, OF COLUMBUS, GEORGIA.

DRAFT ATTCHM ENT FOR CARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part ef Lettere Patent No. 721,059, dated February 17, 190s.

' Application fried Mey 1. 1902. serial Naioatzz. die medew To all whom t may concern: Y

Be it known that I, HENRYYMARTIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Columbus, in the county of Muscogee and State of Georgia, have invented a new and useful draft attachment for'connecting a draw-headV with a car, adapted to lessen the cost of construction and capable'ofuenabling the drawhead to be readily attached and removed.

A further object of the invention is tol house the cushioning-spring and to enable'ac-Y cess to be readily had to the same when desired.

The invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

In the drawings, Figure lis a longitudinal sectional view of a draftV attachment constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view of the same. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective View of the rear end of the draw-bar or shank of the drawhead. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of the locking-plate. Fig. A6 is an elevation -of the outer end of the casing. Fig. 7 is a detail View of the catch for locking the knuckle'v in its closed position.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all the -ligu-resof the drawings.

l designates adraw-head having its shank or draw-bar 2 arrangedbetween draft-timbers 3, which are bolted to the center sills of a car 4, as clearly illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3 of the accompanying drawings. The drawbar or shank 2 is provided at its Yrear end with a stem- `5,having'oppo's-itely'- disposed lugs 6, and engaging the outer end of a casing 7, whichv forms a housing for the cushioning-spring 8. The engaging portion of the stem 5 is rounded, as clearly illustrated .in

Fig. 4 of vthe accompanying drawings, and the outer end of the casing is provided With a vertical slot or opening 9, having a circular central portion and rectangular end portions to conform to the conguration of the engaging end of the stem. The lugs 6 extend horizontally from oppositie sides of the stem,which is'introducedfinto the slot or opening of the casing when the lugs arein a vertical position, and by rotating the draw-head a quarter of a revolution the lugs are returned to their horizontal position and extend transversely of the slot or opening 9, whereby the draw-head is 'securely and detachably interlocked with the casing. The casing is mounted between the draft-timbers' on transverse bars lOrand l1, extending through slots l2 and 13 of the said casing, and through slots or openings 14 of the'draft-timbers,whichfare reinforced at such points by metal plates 15, 'secured to the draft-timbers in suitable slots or openings thereof by the vertical bolts 16, which fasten the draft-timbers to the center sills of the car.

The slots l2 and 13,-which extendtransversely through the casing, are located adjacent to the ends thereof, and the coiled cushioning-spring 8, which is located at the center of the casing, is interposed between the transverse bars, as clearly illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings, whereby the draw-head will be cushioned in its inward and 'outward movement. The

transverse bars are removably secured'to thev draft-timbers by keys 17 or other suitable fastening devices, which enable the casing to be readily detached when desired.

In order to enable access to be had-to the cushioning-spring without removing the casing from the car, the saidvcasing is provided at its bottom with a longitudinal slide or cover 18, extending rearwardv from the front or outer end of the casing and mounted in suitable ways preferably formed by dovetailing the side walls of the opening provided for the said slide or cover, andthe latter has its edges correspondingly beveled or` dovetailed, as clearly shown in Fig.V 3. The spring which engages the transverse bar is located within a central compartment of the casing and bears against the rear end 19 thereof and against a transverse wall 20 at the front portion of the IOO casing, which is provided with a chamber or recess 2l for the reception of the engaging portion of the stem of the shank or draw-bar. The transverse wall or partition 20, which separates the central compartment from the outer chamber or cavity, is divided by the front or outer slot l2. The slide or cover is provided at its outer face with a suitable recess 22 to form a handhold, and it is locked in position by a plate or disk 23, provided with a slot or opening 24, having transverse branches 25. One end of the slot or opening conforms to the configuration of the engaging portion of the stem to enable the plate to be placed thereon and to be passed over the lugs, and the other portion of the slot or opening is adapted to engage a lflattened portion 26 of the stem, as illustrated in Figs. l and 2 of the drawings. When the locking-plate is arranged as illustrated in Fig. l of the drawings, its lowerporlion extends downward and lies in the same plane as the slide or cover, whereby the same is locked in its closed position. The plate 23 is adapted to be raised to lift its lower portion out of engagement with the slide or cover when it is desired to open the casing. The locking plate or disk remains in its engaging position through gravity, so that there is no liability of its becoming accidentally disengaged from the slide or cover.

The draw-head, which has a knuckle 27 pivoted to it, is provided at one side with an opening 2S, through which extends a catch 29, consisting of an inner rod or stem 30 and an outer enlarged or weighted portion 31. The stem is swiveled to the knuckle, which is provided with an opening 32, and the outer enlarged or weighted portion is adapted to be arranged tranversely of the slot or opening 28, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawings. The slot or opening 2S is vertical, and the draw-head is provided on ils exterior with a flange 33, forming a ledge for supporting the outer portion of the catch. One side of the outer enlarged portion 3l is heavier than the opposite portion, so that when the knuckle closes the catch will be partially rotated to arrange it transversely of the slot or opening 28.

It will be seen that the draft attaehmentis simple and comparatively inexpensive in construction, that it is adapted to reduce the cost of connecting a draw-head with a car, and that it will permit the former to be readily detached when required. The spring, which is housed within the casing, is protected by the same, and it may be readily removed and replaced without detaching the casing. The disk or plate, `which retains the slide or cover in its closedposition, forms a gravity-lock and is adapted to be readily operated to elease the said slide or cover.

Changes in the form, proportion, size, and

ed to without departing from the spirit or sacv rilicing any of the advantages of this invention.

What is claimed is- 1. In a device of the class described,the combination of a casing designed to be mounted between the draft-timbers of a car and having a sliding door or cover, a spring arranged within the casing for cushioning the device, a draw-head connected with the frontof the casing, and a locking-plate mounted on the draw-head and engaging the sliding door or cover, substantially as described.

2. In adevice ofthe class deseribed,the combination of a hollow casing provided at opposite sides with slots and having a slot at its front end, a draw-head provided with astem extending through the front slot of the casing and detachably interlocked with the latter, transverse bars passing through the side slots, and a cushioning-spring housed within the casing and interposed between the transverse bars, substantially as described.

3. In a device of the class described,the combination of a easing provided at its front with a slot, a drawhead provided with a stem adapted to extend through thesaid slot and provided with lugs arranged transversely of the slot when the draw-head is in an upright position, a cushioning-spring housed within the casing, and means for connecting the casing with va car, substantially as described.

4. In a device of the class described,the combination of a casing having transverse slots and provided with a slide or cover, a spring housed within the casing, transverse bars extending through the slots of the casing and designed to be secured to the draft-timbers of a car, a drawhead having a stem detachably interlocked with the casing, anda locking-plate mounted on the stein and engaging the slide or cover, substantially as described.

5. In a device of the class described,thc combination of a casing provided at its front with a slot, a draw-head provided with a stern engaging the casing and having laterally-extending lugs, said stem being provided with a flattened portion, a locking-plate having a slot conforming to the configuration of the engaging portion of the stem and interlocking with the flattened portion of the same and engaging the slide or cover, and a cushioning device housed within the casing, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto afxed my signaturein the presence of two witnesses.

HENRY MARTIN.

Witnesses:

R. C. LIVINGSTON, W. O. JOHNSON.

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